2-Year-Old Boy Killed By Falling Dolphin Statue in San Francisco

A 2-year-old boy visiting San Francisco with his family from Utah was killed after a dolphin statue outside a store in the city's Fisherman's Wharf fell on him. Police are investigating whether the store, Majestic Collection Art Gallery, was in violation for having the statue on a busy walkway.

Kayson Shelton was playing outside his hotel last Friday when he climbed onto the large dolphin statue outside the store. According to police, he wrapped his arms and legs around the statue, causing it to tip over and fall on him. His six-year-old sister attempted to stop the fall, but the statue was too heavy.

At first, according to police, the boy did not appear to be seriously hurt—he was taken to the hospital with a bloody nose. But soon after that, Capt. Joe McFadden of the San Francisco Police Department told the San Francisco Chronicle, "he went from bad to worse and was transferred to the emergency room." He died four hours after the accident, apparently from internal injuries.

To maintain safe traffic flow, the city's port authority requires stores to adhere to a blue-line system that designates where they can place displays. Reuters reports that the store has been ticketed and that it has been told before to remove the statue.

"Last summer, San Francisco was the host city for the America's Cup, and this specific business was warned about their dolphin being outside the blue line," Gordon Shyy, spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department, said. "This business was warned this was a problem and a violation of that code."